JP2006501524A - Electrochromic device with no position offset between substrates - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrochromic device used in an electro-optical device, in particular, an architectural window or a vehicle rearview mirror.
A portion of a first conductive layer provided on the rear surface of the front element to allow the electrochromic device to have little or no offset between its front and rear elements. A conductor can be provided to electrically couple to a portion of the second conductive layer provided on the front surface of the rear element. The conductor can be in the form of a conductive portion of the seal. In order to prevent a short circuit across the electrochromic medium, at least one of the first and second conductive layers is separated into a first portion and a second portion electrically separated from the first portion; And electrically connected to the electrochromic material. An elastomeric bezel can also be utilized. Also, an edge seal can optionally be used to reduce the need for the bezel or its width.

Description

  The present invention relates generally to an electro-optical device, and more specifically to an electrochromic device used in a building window or a vehicle rearview mirror.

  Electrochromic elements are used in a variety of applications including optical shutters, variable attenuation optical filters, architectural and vehicle windows. The most common application of electrochromic elements is in rearview mirror assemblies used in vehicles. Such an electrochromic rearview mirror is controlled to change the reflectivity of the mirror in response to the rear and front target light sensors in order to reduce headlamp glare in the image reflected by the driver's eyes. The

FIG. 1A is an exploded view of a portion of a rearview mirror subassembly 5 used in a typical external rearview mirror subassembly. Subassembly 5 includes an electrochromic mirror element 10, a bezel 50, and a carrier plate 70 (FIG. 1B). The subassembly can further include gaskets 60 and 62, which are placed on either side of the electrochromic mirror element 10, which are provided to form a secondary seal around the periphery of the mirror element 10. It is done. As best seen in FIG. 1B, the electrochromic element 10 includes a front transparent element 12 that is generally formed of glass and has a front surface 12b and a back surface 12b. The electrochromic element 10 further includes a rear element 14 that is slightly spaced from the element 12. A seal 16 is formed between elements 12 and 14 around its periphery, forming a sealed chamber between which the electrochromic medium is provided. Elements 12 and 14 preferably have a conductive layer on the surface facing the chamber so that a potential can be applied across the electrochromic medium. These electrodes will be electrically isolated from each other and will be separately coupled to the power supply by first and second bus connectors 34a and 34b. In order to facilitate the connection of bus connectors 34a and 34b, elements 12 and 14 generally have one bus connector secured along one lower edge of the element and another bus connector connected to the other element. It is offset in the vertical direction to be fixed to the upper edge of. The bus connectors 34a and 34b generally provide the Applicant with the assurance that they remain physically and electrically coupled to the electrode layers on the inwardly facing surfaces of the elements 12 and 14. A spring clip similar to that disclosed in assigned US Pat. No. 6,064,509. With the electrochromic element 10 manufactured and spring clips 34a and 34b attached, the mirror subassembly 5 can then be assembled. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the bezel 50 includes a front lip 51 that extends to cover a portion of the front surface 12 a of the front element 12. In general, the front lip 51 extends to cover a sufficient portion of the front surface 12a to obscure the seal 16 visible to the human eye and protects the seal 16 from the possibility of degradation due to ultraviolet radiation. . As is apparent from FIG. 1B, the width D ₁ of the front lip 51 of the bezel 50 depends on several factors including the offset distance D ₂ of the elements 12 and 14. Also, the bezel 50 may need to be widened depending on how much the bus connector clips 34a and 34b extend beyond the periphery of the elements 12 and 14. A typical prior art bezel has a front lip having a width D ₁ of 5 mm or more.

  Before the electrochromic mirror element 10 is inserted into the bezel 50, the front lip 51 is compressed so that it is compressed between the front surface 12 a of the front element 12 and the inner surface of the front lip 51 of the bezel 50. An optional front gasket 60 can be placed behind. Thereafter, the mirror element 10 can be placed in the bezel 50 and an optional rear gasket 62 can be placed around the back of the element 14 or the bezel / mirror interface area can be made of urethane, silicone, or epoxy, etc. It can be filled or sealed with a sealing material. The carrier plate 70, typically formed of a material similar to that used for engineering grade rigid plastics or bezels, is then compressed against the rear surface of the element 14 with the gasket 62 therebetween. Pressed strongly. A plurality of tabs 52 can be formed inside the bezel such that the carrier plate 70 is snapped into place to secure the mirror element 10 within the bezel. Carrier plate 70 is typically used to mount the mirror subassembly within the outer mirror housing. More specifically, an optional motor (not shown) is mounted within the mirror housing and mechanically coupled to the carrier plate 70 to allow remote adjustment of the mirror subassembly position within the housing. You can also

  Although the structure described above can be easily manufactured, styling problems have arisen with respect to the width of the front lip of the bezel of the electrochromic mirror subassembly. Specifically, the width of the front lip of the bezel is generally unprevented because of the need to adapt to the positional offset of the bus clips, ie elements 12 and 14, and to make the seal inconspicuous. Wider than any bezel used for dazzling (non-electrochromic) mirrors. In fact, bezels are often not used for non-glare mirrors. In some vehicles, only the driver-side external mirror is electrochromic, while the passenger-side mirror is non-glare-proof. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved electrochromic outer mirror subassembly that has a reduced bezel front width or no front bezel.

US Pat. No. 6,064,509 Canadian Patent 1,300,945 US Pat. No. 5,204,778 US Pat. No. 5,434,407 US Pat. No. 5,451,822 US Pat. No. 6,402,328 US Pat. No. 6,386,713 U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,401 U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,102 U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,490 US Pat. No. 5,596,023 US Pat. No. 5,596,024 US Pat. No. 5,790,298 US Pat. No. 6,157,480 US Pat. No. 5,202,787 US patent application Ser. No. 10 / 115,860 US Pat. No. 5,940,201 US Pat. No. 5,928,572 US Pat. No. 5,448,397 US Pat. No. 6,657,767 J. et al. Stollenwerk, B.M. Ocker, and K.C. H. "Transparent conductive multilayer system for FPD applications" by Kretschmer, "LEYBOLD AG", Germany Machine handbook 25

  According to one or more but not all embodiments of the present invention, a front element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed, a second of conductive material. A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which the layers are disposed; a seal provided to sealably connect the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber; and an electro disposed in the chamber An electrochromic device is provided that includes a chromic material and a conductor provided to electrically couple a portion of the first conductive layer with a portion of the second conductive layer, the conductor comprising the front portion described above. And on the outer peripheral edge of at least one of the rear elements.

  According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a front element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed, a second layer of conductive material is disposed. A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface; a seal provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber; an electrochromic material disposed within the chamber; and at least A vehicle electrochromic variable comprising a bezel disposed around the periphery of the front element and extending to cover a portion of the front surface of the front element and having a front lip having a width of about 4 mm or less A reflectance mirror is provided.

  According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a front element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed, a second layer of conductive material is disposed. A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface, a seal provided to sealably connect the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber, an electrochromic material disposed in the chamber, and the element An electrochromic variable reflectivity mirror for a vehicle is provided that includes an elastomeric bezel disposed about at least one circumference of the vehicle.

  In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface, and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed, a peripheral element and a second of conductive material. A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface disposed with layers of, a seal provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber, and disposed within the chamber An electrochromic device comprising the electrochromic material is provided, and a conductive coating is applied to at least a portion of at least one of the peripheral edges.

  In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface, and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed, a peripheral element and a second of conductive material. A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface disposed with a layer of; a seal provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber; disposed within the chamber An electrochromic device is provided that includes an electrochromic material and a conductive wire or strip disposed between the first and second conductive layers in electrical contact with at least one of the conductive layers.

  In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface, and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed, a peripheral element and a second of conductive material. An electrochromic device comprising a rear element having a front surface and a rear surface disposed with a layer of and a seal provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber Provided, the seal has at least two conductive regions, and the electrochromic material is disposed in the chamber.

  In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface, and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed, a peripheral element and a second of conductive material. An electrochromic device comprising a rear element having a front surface and a rear surface disposed with a layer of and a seal provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber Provided, the seal has at least one conductive region extending less than the overall height of the seal, and the electrochromic material is disposed in the chamber.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface, and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed, a peripheral element and a second of conductive material. A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a layer of the substrate is disposed, a seal provided on both the front and rear elements to form a sealed chamber between the front and rear elements, and disposed within the chamber An electrochromic device is provided that includes a modified electrochromic material, and seals are provided primarily on the peripheral edges of the front and rear elements. The seal can be a molded bead of adhesive, such as predominantly element periphery to the additional epoxy resin, or a metal, a thin glass, plastic, multilayer plastic, a multilayer metal and SiO _2, Al ₂ O ₃ , a film with a preferably low gas permeability, which can be bonded to the periphery of a glass element with an adhesive or glass frit, such as plastic with an inorganic layer or coating such as Ta ₂ O ₅ , Al, chromium Or it could be a foil.

  The above and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art with reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings.

  Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. In the figures, the depicted structural elements are not to scale, and certain components have been expanded relative to other components for purposes of emphasis and understanding.

  As mentioned above, the electrochromic mirror subassembly has the advantage of reduced bezel front lip width, preferably 4 mm or less, and most preferably about 3.6 mm, while still making the seal sufficiently inconspicuous. To extend across the entire width of the seal, preferably about 0.5 mm beyond the innermost edge of the seal. According to some aspects of the present invention, the bezel may not even be used for other inventive techniques that make the appearance of the seal inconspicuous by the first transparent element. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bezel of the present invention made of a material that was not previously used to make the bezel.

  One technique of the present invention common to most of the embodiments described below is that the bezel width can be correspondingly reduced by reducing or eliminating the position offset of the transparent elements of the electrochromic element. Accordingly, various embodiments will be described below that accomplish this through new means of different electrical coupling to the electrodes of the electrochromic device. Following a general overview of structural elements that may be common to each of the embodiments, various embodiments are described in detail below.

  FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the inner mirror assembly 110 and two outer rearview mirror assemblies 111a and 111b for the driver side and passenger side, respectively, all of which are rearward with the mirror facing the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle is provided in a conventional manner at a place where the vehicle driver can see so that the above-described field of view can be obtained. Inner mirror assembly 110 and outer rearview mirror assemblies 111a and 111b are described in Canadian Patent 1,300,945, US Pat. No. 5,204,778, US Pat. No. 5,451,822, US Pat. Sensing light sensing electronics and glare and ambient light of the type shown and described in US Pat. No. 6,402,328 or US Pat. No. 6,386,713 to provide drive voltage to the electrochromic element Other circuits can be incorporated.

  The mirror assemblies 110, 111a, and 111b are essentially the same in that the same numbers identify the components of the inner and outer mirrors. Although these components are slightly different in configuration, they function in substantially the same way and can achieve substantially the same results as components having the same number. For example, the shape of the front glass element of the inner mirror 110 is generally longer and narrower than the outer mirrors 111a and 111b. Also, compared to the outer mirrors 111a and 111b, the inner mirror 110 has several different performance criteria. For example, the inner mirror 110 should generally have a reflectivity of about 70% to about 85% or more when completely unobstructed, while the outer mirror is about 50% to about 65%. % Reflectance. Also, in the United States (when supplied by an automobile manufacturer), the passenger side mirror 111b generally has a curved or convex shape on a spherical surface, while the driver side mirror 111a and the inner mirror 110 are Currently, it must be flat. In Europe, the driver side mirror 111a is generally flat or aspherical, while the passenger seat side mirror 111b is convex. In Japan, both outer mirrors have a convex shape. Although the present invention generally focuses on the external mirror, the following description is applicable to all mirror assemblies of the present invention, including the internal mirror assembly in general. Furthermore, certain aspects of the present invention can be implemented even in electrochromic elements or other forms of electro-optic devices used in other applications such as architectural windows.

  FIG. 3 is made in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, including a front transparent element 112 having a front surface 112a and a rear surface 112b, and a rear element 114 having a front surface 114a and a rear surface 114b. A cross-sectional view of the external mirror assembly 111 is shown. In order to clarify the description of such a structure, the following names will be used hereinafter. The front surface 112a of the front glass element is referred to as the first surface, and the rear surface 112b of the front glass element is referred to as the second surface. The front surface 114a of the rear glass element is referred to as the third surface, and the rear surface 114b of the rear glass element is referred to as the fourth surface. The chamber 125 includes a layer of the transparent conductor 128 (supported on the second surface 112 b), an electrode (arranged on the third surface 114 a), and an inner peripheral wall 132 of the sealing member 116. An electrochromic medium 126 is contained within the chamber 125.

  As used broadly herein, a reference that an electrode or layer is “supported” on the surface of an element is placed directly on the surface of the element or directly on the surface of the element. To be placed on another coating or on one or more layers.

  The front transparent element 112 can be any material that is transparent and has sufficient strength to operate at various conditions commonly found in the automotive environment, such as varying temperatures and pressures. The front element 112 can comprise any type of borosilicate glass, soda lime glass, float glass, or any other material such as a polymer or plastic that is transparent in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The front element 112 is preferably plate glass. The rear element need not be transparent in all applications and therefore should satisfy the operating conditions outlined above, except that it can include polymers, metals, glasses, ceramics, and preferably flat glass. is there.

  The electrode 120 on the third surface 114a is separated from the electrode 128 on the second surface 112b in a spaced and parallel relationship by a sealing member 116 disposed near the outer periphery of both the second surface 112b and the third surface 114a. Combined sealably. Sealing member 116 may optionally bond the coating on second surface 112b to the coating on third surface 114a to seal the outer periphery so that electrochromic material 126 does not leak from chamber 125. Material. As described below, the layer of transparent conductive coating 128 and / or the layer of electrode 120 can be removed over the portion where the sealing member is disposed. In such a case, the sealing member 116 should bond well with the glass.

  The performance requirements of the perimeter sealing member 116 used in electrochromic devices are similar to the perimeter seal requirements used in liquid crystal devices (LCDs) known in the art. The seal should have good adhesion to glass, metal, and metal oxides and should have low permeability for oxygen, moisture, and other harmful vapors and gases, and it contains Do not interact with or poison the electrochromic or liquid crystal material that is to be protected. The perimeter seal can be applied by means commonly used in the LCD industry, such as by silk screen or dispensing methods. Since the processing temperature is low, a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, or an ultraviolet curable organic sealing resin is preferable. Such organic resin systems for LCDs are described in US Pat. No. 4,297,401, US Pat. No. 4,418,102, US Pat. No. 4,695,490, US Pat. No. 5,596,023. U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,024. Epoxy-based organic sealing resins are preferred because of their excellent adhesion to glass, low oxygen permeability, and good solvent resistance. These epoxy resin seals are UV curable as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,401, or thermosetting such as liquid polyamide resins or mixtures of liquid epoxy resins with dicyandiamide. Or it can be homopolymerized. The epoxy resin can include fillers or thickeners to reduce flow and shrinkage such as fumed silica, silica, mica, clay, calcium carbonate, alumina and / or pigments to add color. A filler pretreated with a hydrophobic or silane surface treatment is preferred. Mixtures of monofunctional, difunctional, and polyfunctional epoxy resins and curing agents can be used to control the crosslink density of the cured resin. Additives such as silane, titanate, or sulfur or phosphorus containing composites can be used to improve the hydrolytic stability and adhesion of the seal, or the final seal thickness and substrate spacing. Spacers such as glass or plastic beads or rods can be used to control the movement. Epoxy resins suitable for use in the perimeter sealing member 116 include, but are not limited to, “EPON RESIN” 813, 825, 826, sold by “Shell Chemical Co.” (Houston, Texas). 828, 830, 834, 862, 1101F, 1002F, 2012, DPS-155, 164, 1031, 1074, 58005, 58006, 58034, 58901, 871, 872, and DPL-862, “Ciba Greigy” (in Hawthorne, NY) "ARALITE" GY6010, GY6020, CY9579, GT7071, XU248, EPN1139, EPN1138, PY307, ECN1235, ECN1273, ECN1280, MT01 3, MY720, MY0500, MY0510, and PT810, and “D.E.R.” 331, 317, 361, 383, 661, 662, sold by “Dow Chemical Co.” (located in Midland, Michigan) 667, 732, 736, “D.E.N.” 354, 354LV, 431, 438, 439, and 444. Suitable epoxy curing agents include V-15, V-25, and V-40 polyamides sold by "Shell Chemical Co.", "AJICURE" sold by Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (located in Tokyo, Japan). PN-23, PN-34, and VDH, “CUREZOL” AMZ, 2MZ, 2E4MZ, C11ZC17Z, 2PZ, 2IZ, and 2P4MZ, “CVC Specialty,” sold by “Shikoku Fine Chemicals” (located in Tokyo, Japan) Chemicals "(located in Maple Shade, NJ)," ERISYS "DDA or U-405, 24EMI, U-410, and U-415 promoted DDA, and" Air Products "(Allentown, PA) At "AMICURE" PACM, 2049, 352, CG, CG-325, and CG-1200 sold by Suitable fillers include "CAB-O-SIL" L-90, LM-130, LM-5, PTG, M-5, MS-, sold by "Cabot Corporation" (Tuscola, IL). 7, “AEROSIL” R972, R974, R805, R812, R812S, R202, sold by MS-55, TS-720, HS-5, and EH-5, and “Degussa” (Akron, Ohio) Fumed silica such as US204 and US206 is included. Suitable clay fillers include BUCA, CATALPO, “ASP NC”, SATINTONE5, “SATINTONE SP-33”, TRANSLINK37, TRANSLINKNK45, and TRANSLINKSL445, sold by “Engelhard Corporation” (located in Edison, NJ). Is included. Suitable silica fillers are “SILCRON” G-130, G-300, G-100-T, and G-100 sold by “SCM Chemicals” (located in Baltimore, Maryland). Suitable silane binders to improve seal hydrolytic stability are Z-6020, Z-6030, Z-6032, Z-6040, sold by “Dow Corning Corporation” (Midland, MI). Z-6075 and Z-6076. Suitable precision glass microbead spacers are available in various size combinations from “Duke Scientific” (located in Palo Alto, Calif.). Seals can be made in accordance with the teachings of US Pat. No. 5,790,298 and US Pat. No. 6,157,480, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

  Another suitable method for maintaining a precise spacing between two glass pieces is by adding plastic fibers to the sealing member. These fibers are particularly effective in preventing two substrates from sliding during the seal curing process when cut from a single filament with an aspect ratio of about 2.5 to 3: 1 (length: diameter). It is. The glass spheres act as ball bearings that can allow movement between substrates during seal curing. Plastic fibers made of high temperature polyester (PEN) or polyetherimide (Ultem) are randomly oriented and partly roll when added to the seal material at about 1% (weight ratio) load Since it is not positioned, it is effective in preventing the movement of the substrate. These plastic spacers have the additional advantage of being more closely matched by the thermal expansion of the cured organic sealant, resulting in less seal stress occurring during thermal cycling.

A layer of transparent conductive material 128 is deposited on the second surface 112b to act as an electrode. The transparent conductive material 128 bonds well with the front element 112, is resistant to any material in the electrochromic device, is resistant to corrosion by atmosphere or road salinity, and has minimal diffusion or specular reflectance. , Any material having high light transmittance, near neutral coloration, and good electrical conductivity. Transparent conductive material 128 is commercially available from fluorine doped tin oxide, doped zinc oxide (Zn ₃ In ₂ O ₆ ), indium tin oxide (ITO), “Libbey Owens-Ford Co.” (located in Toledo, Ohio). A material described in the above-referenced US Pat. No. 5,202,787, such as TEC20 or TEC15, in J. of “LEYBOLD AG” in Alzenau, Germany. Stollenwerk, B.M. Ocker, and K.C. H. It can be ITO / metal / ITO (IMI), other transparent conductor metal oxides, or other transparent conductors as disclosed in “Transparent Conductive Multilayer System for FPD Applications” by Kretschmer. In general, the conductivity of the transparent conductive material 128 depends on the thickness and composition. IMI generally has superior conductivity compared to other materials. However, IMI is known to be rapidly degraded by the environment and cause delamination. The thickness of the various layers within the IMI structure can vary, but generally the thickness of the first ITO layer is in the range of about 10 mm to about 200 mm, and the metal is in the range of about 10 mm to 200 mm. The second layer of ITO ranges from about 10 to about 200 inches. Optionally, one or more optional layers of color suppression material (not shown) are interposed between the transparent conductive material 128 and the second surface 122b to suppress reflection of any unwanted portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Can be deposited.

  The combined reflector / electrode 120 is preferably disposed on the third surface 114a. The reflector / electrode 120 acts as a mirror reflective layer and is a reflector material that contacts the electrochromic medium and forms an integrated electrode that is in a chemically and electrochemically stable relationship with all components therein. Including at least one layer. The reflector / electrode is disclosed in commonly assigned US patent application Ser. No. 10 / 115,860, filed Apr. 3, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Can be partially reflective, or can be partially transmissive / partially reflective (or “transflective”). Alternatively, the electrochromic device could incorporate a transparent conductive material that acts as an electrode on the third surface and a reflector on the fourth surface. However, it is preferable that both the “reflector” and the “electrode” are arranged on the third surface. This is because doing so reduces the complexity of manufacturing the device and allows the device to operate with higher performance. The combined reflector / electrode 120 on the third surface generally has a higher conductivity than conventional transparent elements such as those used on the third surface. At the same time, while maintaining the coloration speed obtained with the fourth surface reflector device while reducing substantially the overall cost and time for manufacturing the electrochromic device, the second electrode has a lower conductivity. The composition of the transparent conductive electrode on the surface can be changed (reducing costs and improving ease of manufacture). However, if specific design performance is very important, a medium to high electrode, such as ITO or IMI, can be used on the second surface. Combining a highly conductive reflector on the third surface (ie less than 250 Ω / Y, preferably less than 15 Ω / Y) with a highly conductive transparent electrode on the second surface results in a more uniform overall This not only produces an electrochromic device with a typical coloration, but also enables an increase in the coloration and removal speed. Furthermore, in the fourth surface reflecting mirror assembly, there are two transparent electrodes having relatively low conductivity, and in the third surface reflecting mirrors used so far, the transparent electrode and relatively low conductivity are provided. For example, a long bus bar on the front and rear elements is necessary to ensure proper coloration speed in and out of current. The third surface electrode of the present invention is made of metal and can have a higher conductivity, so that even if the contact area is small or irregular, the voltage or potential distribution is distributed over the entire conductive surface. It is very uniform throughout. Thus, the present invention improves design flexibility by allowing the electrical contact of the third surface electrode to be very small (if necessary) while still maintaining an adequate coloration rate. Bring.

  In making the outer rearview mirror, it is desirable to incorporate thinner glass to reduce the overall weight of the mirror so that the mechanism used to manipulate the mirror orientation is not overloaded. Also, reducing the weight of the device improves the dynamic stability of the mirror assembly when subjected to vibration. Alternatively, reducing the weight of the mirror element can allow the circuitry provided in the mirror housing to be digitized without weighting the mirror housing. Thin glass can be prone to warping or breaking, especially when exposed to extreme environments. This problem is substantially improved by using an improved electrochromic device that incorporates two thin glasses with an improved gel material. This improved apparatus is described in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 5,940,201, entitled “Electrochromic mirror with two thin glass elements and a gelled electrochromic medium”, filed Apr. 2, 1997. Is disclosed. The entire disclosure of this patent is incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, the addition of a combined reflector / electrode device on the third surface helps to remove any residual double imaging resulting from two glass elements that are not parallel. Thus, chamber 125 cooperates with thin glass elements 112 and 114 to produce a mirror that acts as one thick single member rather than two thin glass elements held together by a sealing member alone. It is preferred to include a working independent gel. In an independent gel comprising a solution and a cross-linked polymer matrix, the solution is sprinkled into the polymer matrix and continues to act as a solution. Also, the at least one solution stage electrochromic material is in solution in the solvent and is therefore dispersed in the polymer matrix as part of the solution (this is generally referred to as “gelled electrochromic material” 126). . This allows the rearview mirror to be made of thinner glass to reduce the weight of the mirror as a whole while maintaining sufficient structural integrity to withstand the extreme conditions common to the automotive environment. This also helps to maintain a uniform spacing between the thin glass elements, thereby improving the uniformity of the mirror appearance (eg, coloring). This structural integrity means that the independent gel, first glass element 112, and second glass element 114, each having insufficient strength properties to function effectively in an electrochromic mirror, no longer move independently. Rather than to bring it together in a way that acts as one thick single piece. This stability includes, but is not limited to, resistance to bending, warping, inward warping and breaking, and improving the image quality of the reflected image, eg, reducing distortion, double image, color uniformity, and each glass Independent vibration of the element is included. However, it is important to join the front and rear glass elements, but it is equally important to ensure that the electrochromic mirror functions properly (even if the importance is not superior). ). The independent gel should be combined with the electrode layer on the wall of such a device (including reflector / electrode if the mirror has a third surface reflector), but within the electrode layer and chamber 116 Electron transfer to and from the disposed electrochromic material should not be hindered. Furthermore, the gel should shrink, crack, or sag over time and the gel itself should not cause poor image quality. Independent gel bonds well with the electrode layer to bond the front and back glass elements, and does not degrade over time while allowing the electrochromic reaction to occur as if in solution. This is an important aspect of the present invention.

  In order to achieve reasonable performance, the mirror must accurately represent the reflected image, which means that when the driver is viewing the reflected image, the glass element (attached to the reflector) is seated. It cannot be achieved if it tends to bend or warp. Buckling or bowing is primarily caused by pressure points caused by differences in the thermal expansion coefficients of the various components used to house the mirror mounting and adjustment mechanism and the outer mirror element. These components include carrier plates, bezels, and housings used to attach the mirror elements to the mechanism used to manipulate and adjust the position of the mirror (bonded to the mirror by adhesive). . Also, many mirrors generally have potting material as a secondary seal. Each of these components, materials, and adhesives have different coefficients of thermal expansion that expand and contract in response to temperature changes during heating and cooling to apply stress to the glass elements 112 and 114. In very large mirrors, hydrostatic pressure is a concern, and the front and rear glass elements can lead to double image problems when the bottom of the mirror is deflected and the top is warped. By combining the front and rear glass elements, the thin glass / independent gel / thin glass combination acts as one thick single piece (while still allowing proper operation of the external mirror). This eliminates or reduces bending, bowing, bending, double image and distortion problems and non-uniform coloration of electrochromic media.

  Also, the cooperative interaction between the independent gel and the thin glass element of the present invention improves the safety aspects of the electrochromic mirror 110 having the thin glass element. Thin glass is more likely to break than thick glass in addition to greater flexibility. By combining the independent gel with thin glass, the overall strength is improved (as described above), and further, crushing and scattering are suppressed, making it easier to clean in the event of a device break.

  An improved cross-linked polymer matrix for use in the present invention is disclosed in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 5,928,572, entitled “Electrochromic Layer and Device Containing It”, filed May 15, 1996. Is disclosed. The entire disclosure of that patent is incorporated herein by reference.

  In general, electrochromic mirrors are made with glass elements having a thickness of about 2.3 mm. Preferred thin glass elements according to the present invention have a thickness of about 1.0 mm, resulting in a weight saving of over 50%. Such weight reduction ensures that the mechanism generally used to operate the operation of the mirror, called a carrier plate, is not overloaded, and the stability against vibration of the mirror is greatly improved.

  Accordingly, the front transparent element 112 has a thickness from 0.5 mm to about 1.8 mm, preferably from about 0.5 mm to 1.6 mm, more preferably from about 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, and still more preferably. Is preferably a glass sheet ranging from about 0.8 mm to about 1.2 mm, or most preferably about 1.0 mm. The rear element 114 is preferably a sheet glass having a thickness in the same range as the element 112.

  When both glass elements are made thin, the vibration characteristics of the internal or external mirror are improved, but the effect is greater with the external mirror. These vibrations resulting from engine operation and / or vehicle movement affect the rearview mirror, so that the mirror essentially acts as a weight at the end of the vibrating cantilever. This vibration of the mirror is a safety concern and causes blurring of the reflected image, which is an unpleasant phenomenon for the driver. When the weight at the end of the cantilever (that is, the mirror element attached to the carrier plate of the external mirror or the mirror mount of the inner mirror) is reduced in weight, the frequency at which the mirror vibrates increases. When the mirror frequency is about 60 Hz, the blur of the reflected image is not visually unpleasant to the vehicle occupant. Furthermore, as the frequency at which the mirror vibrates increases, the distance that the mirror moves during the vibration is significantly reduced. Therefore, by reducing the weight of the mirror element, the finished mirror product has improved vibration stability and the driver's ability to look behind the vehicle. For example, an inner mirror with two glass elements having a thickness of 1.1 mm has a horizontal frequency of the first mode of about 55 Hz, and a mirror with two glass elements of 2.3 mm is about 45 Hz. The first mode has a horizontal frequency. Due to the difference of 10 Hz, the image quality of the reflected image seen by the driver's eyes is greatly improved.

  A resistive heater (not shown) can be placed on the fourth glass surface 114b to remove ice, snow, mist, or frost from the mirror by raising the temperature of the mirror. The resistive heater can optionally be ITO, a layer of fluorine doped tin oxide applied to the fourth surface, or other heater layer or structure known in the art.

  Referring again to FIG. 2, a rearview mirror embodying aspects of the present invention can include a housing or bezel 144 that extends around the entire perimeter of each individual assembly 110, 111a, and / or 111b. The bezel 144 conceals and protects the spring clip (if present) and seal. Various bezel designs are known in the art, such as, for example, the bezel taught and claimed in the aforementioned US Pat. No. 5,448,397.

  Canadian Patent 1,300,945 referred to above, US Pat. No. 5,204,778, US Pat. No. 5,434,407, US Pat. No. 5,451,822, US Pat. No. 6,402 , 328, or US Pat. No. 6,386,713, when an electrical circuit is connected to the electrode 120 and the transparent electrode 128, the electrochromic medium 126 darkens to cause electrochromic medium. The potential applied across the electrode 120 and the transparent electrode 128 can be controlled to attenuate various amounts of light passing through and thus alter the reflectivity of the mirror containing the electrochromic medium 126. The electrical circuit used to control the reflectivity of the electrochromic mirror preferably incorporates an ambient light sensor (not shown) and a glare sensor. The glare sensor is positioned after the mirror glass so that a part of the mirror can be seen even when the reflector is completely or partially removed, or the glare sensor should be positioned outside the reflective surface, for example, within the bezel 144. Or can be positioned after a uniformly deposited transflective coating, as described below. Further, the electrode and reflector areas such as 146 may be completely removed or partially removed as described below so that a vacuum fluorescent display such as a compass, watch, or other display is visible to the vehicle driver. This light emitting display assembly can be made visible through a uniformly deposited transflective coating, as described below. The present invention can also be added to a mirror that uses only one video chip to measure both glare and ambient light, and can further determine the direction of glare. Moreover, the electric mirror inside the vehicle manufactured according to the present invention can control one or both outer mirrors as a slave side in the electric mirror system.

  Features of the first embodiment of the present invention are described below with respect to FIGS. FIG. 4 shows a top view of the second transparent electrode 114 with the electrode 120 disposed thereon, such as can be used with the structure shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the electrode 120 comprises a first portion 120a and a second portion that are electrically and physically separated by two different electrode areas, ie areas without electrode material or any other conductive material. 120b. The electrode material should not be present in the area 120 so that no current flows directly from the first portion 210a to the second portion 120b. There are many ways to remove the electrode material 210 from the area 210c, such as chemical removal, laser ablation, and physical removal by scraping. Also, deposition in area 210c can be avoided by using a mask during electrode deposition.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the second portion 120b of the electrode 120 is in electrical contact with the electrochromic medium 126 at the third surface 114a of the electrochromic device, while the first portion 120a includes the area 120c, It is physically isolated from the electrochromic medium 126 by a seal 116 or both. However, the first portion 210a is electrically coupled to a portion of the transparent electrode 128 on the second surface 112b of the electrochromic device by a conductor that can extend around part or most of the circumference of the seal. Yes. Accordingly, a short circuit is effectively provided between the electrode layer portions 120 and 128. This short circuit allows a bus clip, which is usually attached around the first transparent electrode 112, to be attached to the second element 114 instead. More specifically, the electrical connection between the power source and the transparent electrode 128 on the second surface can be made by connecting a bus bar (or clip 119a) to the first portion 120a of the electrode layer 120. Electrical connection to the second portion 120b can be made by utilizing a clip 119b attached to an extension 120d of the portion 120b extending to the periphery of the element 114. This configuration is advantageous in that it allows connection to the transparent conductive material 128 almost entirely around the circumference, thus improving the dimming and removal rate of the electrochromic medium 126. Other forms of electrical connectors can be used in place of clips 119a and 119b, as will be described further below in connection with other embodiments.

  FIG. 3 shows two different types of electrical connectors for coupling the first portion 120 a of the electrode 120 to a portion of the electrode 128. As shown on the left side of the device, the conductive particles 116b can be distributed into a portion of the sealing member 116 such that a portion of the seal 116 is conductive. The seal 116 is not electrically conductive across its width, but rather isolates the conductive portion of the seal from the electrochromic medium 126 and does not provide a short circuit between the electrode 128 and the second portion 120b of the electrode 120. It is preferable. In this way, the driving potential from the power source reaches the transparent conductor 128 after passing through the first portion 120 a of the electrode 120 and the conductive particles 116 b of the seal 116.

  In such a configuration, the seal 116 includes a general sealing member containing conductive particles 116b, for example, epoxy 116a. The conductive particles can be a small plastic with a diameter ranging from about 5 microns to about 80 microns, for example gold, silver, copper, etc., in this case transparent to the first portion 120a of the electrode 120 There must be a sufficient number of particles between the electrodes 128 to ensure sufficient conductivity. Alternatively, the conductive particles can be large enough to act as spacers, such as glass or plastic beads coated with gold, silver, copper, etc., for example. Furthermore, the conductive particles can be in the form of flakes or in other suitable shapes or combinations of different shapes.

  To ensure that the conductive particles 116b do not enter the area 120b, various methods can be used, such as depositing a non-conductive material in the area 120c of the electrode 120 without the conductive material. Using a dual dispenser, a seal 116 with conductive particles 116b could be deposited on the first portion 120a and at the same time a non-conductive material could be deposited on the electrode area 120c. A common way to ensure that there are no conductive particles reaching the electrode area 120b is that the conductive particles 116b tend to remain behind when the sealant is squeezed during assembly so that only the non-conductive portion of the 116 is in the area 120b. To ensure that the seal 116 has the proper flow characteristics. Another method would be to provide a non-conductive sealing member between the substrates, cure the supplied non-conductive seal separately, and then inject conductive epoxy between the two substrates.

  In an alternative embodiment shown on the right side of the apparatus of FIG. 3, a larger conductor 116b is provided that can serve as a spacer. Such larger conductors can be single wires, braided wires, conductive strips, or simply large particles or beads that are conductive throughout or coated with a conductive material.

  The seal 116 may not include conductive particles or other conductors 116b; alternatively, on or at the outer edge of the seal 116 such that the transparent conductive material 128 interconnects with the first portion 120a of the electrode 120. A conductive member or conductive material 116c can be installed inside. Such a conductive member 116c can be used in a seal or otherwise in combination with a conductor between elements 112 and 114.

  Yet another embodiment of an improved electrical interconnection technique is shown in FIG. 5, where the first portion of the sealing member 116 is added directly onto the third surface 114a and the electrode 120 is added. Before being cured. As shown by a predetermined thickness (depending on the desired cell spacing between the second surface 112b and the third surface 114a) after the electrode 120 is deposited on the third surface 114a to cover the first portion of the sealing member 116. A portion of the cured sealing member 116 is machined away so as to leave the remaining 116i. The cell spacing ranges from about 20 microns to about 1500 microns, preferably from about 90 microns to about 750 microns. By curing and machining the first portion of the sealing member to the desired thickness (116i), the need for the glass beads to ensure a constant cell spacing is eliminated. Glass beads are useful for providing cell spacing, but provide a stress point where the glass beads contact electrode 120 and transparent conductor 128. By removing the glass beads, these stress points are also removed. During machining, the electrode coated on the first portion of the sealing member 116 is removed to leave an area without the electrode 120. Thereafter, a second portion of the sealing member 116i is deposited on the machined area of the first portion of the sealing member 116i or on the coating of the second surface 112b in the area corresponding to 116i and assembled by conventional methods. Later, the sealing member 116i is cured. Finally, an outer conductive sealing member 117 is optionally deposited on the outer peripheral portion of the sealing member 116 to make electrical contact between the outer edge of the electrode 120 and the outer peripheral edge of the layer of transparent conductive material 128. Can be made. This configuration is advantageous in that it allows connection to the transparent conductive material 128 almost entirely around the circumference, thus improving the dimming and removal rate of the electrochromic medium 126.

  A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. In the third embodiment, the conductor that contacts the first portion 120a of the electrode 120 with a portion of the transparent electrode 128 is a wire 150 or strip, the wire or strip being used to improve contact with the electrode layer. Also, it differs from the previous two embodiments in that it can be coated with a conductive material 152 to ensure contact stability. Conductive material 152 is made of conductive pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), conductive ink, or epoxy filled with conductive particles, flakes, or fibers made of materials such as silver, gold, copper, nickel, or carbon. can do. If the conductive material 152 has sufficient conductivity, the wire 150 is not necessary. Similar to the previous two embodiments, the electrode 120 is separated into a first portion 120a and a second portion 120b by an area 120c where there is no conductive material. FIG. 7A shows a top view of the rear element 114 with the electrode coating 120 deposited. To make the first and second portions, laser ablation, chemical etching, physical removal by scraping or similar methods can be used to form a portion of the electrochromic material to form the fine line forming area 120c. Can be removed. This will constitute a first portion 120a along one side of the element 114, as shown in FIG. 7A. As shown in FIG. 7B, a non-conductive seal 116 is formed around the entire periphery to form the outer boundary of the chamber 125 in which the electrochromic medium 126 is deposited. After that, a conductive material 152 that can also function as a seal regardless of the presence or absence of the wire 150 is disposed along the peripheral edge where the first portion 120a of the electrode 120 is formed. The conductive material 152 can be deposited before or after the substrates 112 and 114 are assembled together.

  Another structure in which two first portions 120a are configured on opposite sides of element 114 and separated by corresponding non-conductive lines 120c is shown in FIG. 8A. Such an arrangement will allow electrical connection with the electrode 128 on the opposite side of the element 114. The seals 116 and 152 will be arranged in a similar manner, but the conductive seal 152 is arranged to cover all or part of both parts 120. The wires extend from the conductive sealing material 152 so that they can be soldered directly to a circuit board where electrical clips or power is supplied to the electrochromic mirror. Passing the wire 150 through the center of the dispensing nozzle used to dispense the seal material 152 directly onto the desired portion of the coated element 114 to coat and deposit the wire between the substrates 112 and 114. Can do.

  8C and 8D show another example of the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 8C shows electrode etching of both electrodes 120 and 128, while FIG. 8D shows that the outer portion of its width is conductive and the inner portion is non-conductive, similar to the seal shown in FIG. The figure with the seal is shown. The entire seal 116 can be electrically conductive and the electrochromic device will function, but this configuration will cause electrochromic media to become electrochromic when the inner edge of the conductive seal and the exposed portions of the electrodes 128a and 120a occur. Because of the separation of chromic species, it is not preferred for solution stage equipment. As shown in FIG. 8D, two filling ports 195 and 196 are provided at both ends of the electrochromic device, and the filling ports provide insulation of the conductive portion 116 b of the seal 116. The plug material 197 used to plug the fill ports 195 and 196 will also be made of a non-conductive material to provide the necessary insulation.

  FIG. 9 shows two variants of the embodiment shown in FIG. Referring to the left side of the apparatus shown in FIG. 9, at least one portion of the periphery of the front surface 114a of the element 114 may be beveled to add a thick seam 145 between the elements 112 and 114. You will see what you can do. By adding this larger seam 154, a larger diameter wire 150 can be inserted between elements 112 and 114 without the need to increase the spacing between elements 112 and 114, particularly within chamber 125. Such a seam 154 can be provided by adding a bevel to the front surface 114a of the element 114 or the rear surface 112b of the front element 112. As an alternative, rather than installing a single large diameter wire 150, multiple wires 150 or braided wire strands can be installed as a conductor between portions of the electrodes 120 and 128. Placing wires twisted together facilitates the application of adhesive 152, and the wires need not be made of the same material. For example, copper wire can be twisted with stainless steel, nylon, “KEVLAR” or carbon fibers, or wire to provide strength or other desirable properties. The seam 154 can extend 0.020 inches from the side edges of the elements 112 and 114, for example. The seam can extend into the device so that the non-conductive seal 116 covers the beveled portion of the element 120b, but it is still useful for the laser etched region 120c to ensure that there is no short circuit. I will. It should be noted that the wire 150 is not necessary if the conductive adhesive 152 has sufficient conductivity. In this case, the seam or bezel 154 may use more conductive material 152 that improves the overall conductivity of the contact area.

FIG. 10 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, this embodiment does not etch portions of the electrode 120 to form discrete regions, except that a non-conductive coating or material 156 is placed between the electrode 120 and the coating wire 150, This is similar to that shown in FIG. The coating or material 156 can be formed of a thin layer of an organic resin such as epoxy resin, polyester, polyamide or acrylic, or an inorganic material such as SiO ₂ or Ta ₂ O ₅ . Such a non-conductive material may also be effective to hold the wire in place.

  FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the back electrode 120 is not only etched along one side edge, but also to form a first portion 128a and a second portion 128b separated by an area 128c without conductive material. The transparent front electrode is also etched (see, eg, FIG. 8C). The front transparent electrode 128 can be etched along any side other than the side where the electrode 120 is etched. Accordingly, a non-conductive seal 120 will be formed around and on the periphery of the etched portions 128c and 120c of the two electrodes. The edges of elements 112 and 114 will be flush with each other. The epoxy seal 116 is preferably distributed flush with the side glass edges at its top and bottom about 0.010 inches to 0.015 inches from the edges of the elements 112 and 114. The conductive material 152 can then be dispensed into channels of 0.010 to 0.015 inches at the top and bottom of the device. A foil, copper web material, or other highly conductive material 160 is then adhered to the conductive epoxy / adhesive for the top and bottom regions to provide electrical contact with the electrodes 120 and 128. Can do. A high surface area web or hole or rough outer foil or thin conductive material enhances the adhesion of such material to the conductive material 152 and the edges of the device.

  FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment, which will be added to electrochromic media and window applications, includes a conductive seal material 152 that is deposited and cured on each of the electrodes 120 and 128. Thereafter, the non-conductive seal 116 will be distributed between the conductive seals 152 and distributed inward to provide insulation from the electrochromic medium 126 as needed. Alternatively, double dispensing can be done by dispensing the conductive sealing member and the non-conductive seal simultaneously. Thus, part of the seal height is used as a seal and as a conductor bus. The advantage of this structure is that the seal / conductive bus 152 can extend around the perimeter of the electrochromic device for each of the two electrodes 120 and 128. The conductive sealing material 152 is preferably formed of an epoxy filled with silver.

  FIG. 13 is a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. Specifically, if the conductive material added to the epoxy seal portion 152 is not as environmentally friendly as silver, the conductive material can be formed using two stages or two separate non-conductive materials. For example, the non-conductive epoxy seal 116 can be applied in a conventional manner between the electrochromic medium 126 and the conductive seal 152. As a result, the conductive material 162 can be used to fill the gap between the conductive seals 152 and can extend along the edges of the glass elements 112 and 114. The advantage of using this process is that the sealing member 116 can be selected from a material that is not susceptible to degradation by the electrochromic medium, while the sealing member 162 can be selected from a material that is impermeable to moisture and oxygen. is there.

  FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment, which is equally suitable for mirrors or windows, provides a non-conductive seal 116 between the electrodes 128 and 120 while simultaneously forming the outer boundary of the chamber 125 in which the electrochromic medium 126 is located. It is. Between seal 116 and elements 112 and 114 are made of ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM), polyester, polyamide, or other insulating material, such as a foil or copper web or other highly conductive material, etc. An insulating material 164 is provided with a conductive material 166 attached to both sides. A conductor 166 can be secured to both sides of the insulator 164 using PSA. Conductive ink or epoxy 152 can be used to increase the contact stability between conductor 166 and electrodes 128 and 120. Seal 116 is not required if materials 152, 166, and 164 provide adequate environmental protection and do not interfere with the electrochromic media.

  FIG. 15 shows an improvement of the embodiment described above with respect to FIG. However, it will be appreciated that this improvement can be used with any other embodiment described above or below. Specifically, this structure provides a beveled peripheral surface 170 having a width sufficient to obscure the appearance of the seal 116/152 so that the front surface 112a of the front element 112 is peripheral. It has been modified to bevel around the face. With such a design, it would be possible to eliminate the entire bezel. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the conductive foil or web 160 extends backwards and is electrically connected to a heater circuit that can distribute power to selectively change the reflectivity of the printed circuit board or mirror element. It can be wound so that contact is obtained. In addition, a reflective coating can be added to the beveled surface 170 to obscure the appearance of the seal.

  FIG. 16 shows a slightly different method for making the appearance of the seal 116 inconspicuous. Specifically, the peripheral portion 175 of the front surface 112a of the front element 112 is sandblasted, roughened, in order to obscure the appearance of parts of the device that may otherwise reveal a seal. Or modified. Yet another technique is shown in FIG. 17A, where a reflective or translucent paint / coating 176 is provided in the peripheral region 175 of the front surface 112a of the front element 112. FIG. Such a reflective or translucent coating, paint, or film could be provided on the rear surface 112b of the front element 112, as shown in FIG. 17B.

  Yet another method of hiding the seal is a transparent sealing material as disclosed in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 5,790,298, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Is to use.

  Each of the different methods for obscure the appearance of the seal described above in connection with FIGS. 15-17B can be combined or used separately and in conjunction with any other embodiments described herein. can do. For example, the beveled surface 170 shown in FIG. 15 can be sandblasted. Similarly, the sandblasting portion 175 on the surface 112a can be painted or coated with a material having high reflectivity or refractive index. Paint or other materials can be added by silk screening or other suitable methods. When the reflector is combined with the roughened surface, it becomes a diffuse reflector.

  As mentioned above, other techniques can be used to improve bezel styling and appearance. For example, FIG. 18 illustrates the use of a bezel 144 having a surface made of at least a metal such as chrome, chrome plated plastic, or other material. Thus, at least a portion of the front surface of the bezel 144 is not black, but is reflective, similar to the appearance of the mirror itself, and is thus indistinguishable from the rest of the mirror subassembly. The bezel 144 can engage the carrier plate 145 in any conventional manner.

  Another reason that bezels are typically quite wide is to accommodate the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material from which the bezel is made relative to the material used to form the electrochromic element. Conventional bezels are made of tough and fairly rigid engineering plastics such as polypropylene, ABS / PC, ASA and have a much higher coefficient of thermal expansion than glass mirrors. When a strong and rigid bezel contracts around the mirror at low temperatures, this thermal expansion rate can cause large circumferential stresses. As a result, conventional bezels can have ribs or formed voids to accommodate the thermal expansion difference between the element and the rigid bezel. A solution in this regard is shown in FIG. 19, where the bezel 144a is formed of an elastomeric material that expands and contracts with the thermal expansion / contraction of the electrochromic element.

  It is believed that the elastomeric material can be injection molded or resin transfer molded directly around the mirror element, such as injection molded PVC or polyurethane “Reactive Injection Molding (RIM)”. Elastomeric bezels are thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO, TPV), styrene thermoplastic elastomer (TPS), polyester thermoplastic elastomer (TPC), nylon or polyamide plastic elastomer (TPA), or vulcanized Alternatively, it can be separately injection molded from an elastomeric material known as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) such as polymerized rubber, polyurethane, silicone or fluoroelastomer and then applied to the mirror element. One technique is the shape and size of the mirror, or preferably slightly smaller than the shape and size of the mirror, after which the bezel is expanded into a “C” or “U” shape that “snaps” into the mirror. It is an injection molding of an elastomeric bezel. A bezel made in this way fits nicely on a mirror and very well withstands thermal shock and thermal cycling. One advantage of the “C” or “U” shaped bezel is that if it is made symmetrical from front to rear, the bezel made for the driver side of the vehicle is rotated 180 ° Generally fits to the passenger side of the vehicle because the two mirrors are usually mirror images of each other. Another advantage is that bezels made for plane mirrors also fit convex or non-spherical mirror shapes because the bezel is flexible. Only one bezel needs to be made to fit the right and left flat, convex, and non-spherical mirrors, resulting in significant savings in cost, time, and inventory. In order to avoid falling off of the bezel when the mirror is rubbed with an ice scraper, it may be desirable to fix or fasten the bezel to the mirror or mirror back with an adhesive or mechanically. The adhesive can be a single component system such as moisture curable silicone or urethane applied on the glass or around the inner edge of the “C” or “U” shaped bezel or both. The bezel can then be added and the adhesive will cure over time. It is believed that two component or solvent based adhesives can also be used in this manner. Also, hot melt adhesive can be applied around the mirror or inside the “C” or “U” shaped bezel or both. The bezel can then be applied to the mirror while the adhesive is still hot, or the bezel / mirror assembly can be heated again to melt the hot melt adhesive and bond the bezel to the mirror. Mechanical means for capturing or engaging the elastomeric bezel in place can also be used. The bezel can be made with holes or grooves in the back or sides to engage the stiffer back member. The elastomeric bezel can also be co-injected with a more rigid material that forms an elastomeric portion around the periphery of the mirror and a more rigid portion around the back surface to hold the elastomeric portion in place. This rigid portion covers most of the back of the mirror and can engage a power supply or adjustable mirror support that holds the mirror in place in the mirror housing partition. The mirror in this arrangement can be attached to the rigid backside with adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape. In addition, the rigid portion not only covers the periphery of the rear surface of the mirror, but can also be attached to a transport base that engages with a power supply or an adjustable mirror support. In any case, the rigid portion on the back surface of the mirror mechanically holds the back surface of the mirror and the elastomer portion of the bezel in place. Also, an adhesive can be used to bond the elastomer portion to a more rigid portion of the mirror back surface to hold the bezel or mirror back surface in place. In at least one embodiment, a cooperating carrier plate and bezel are provided to hold the associated electro-optic device. In such an embodiment, the carrier plate and bezel can be co-molded with substantially similar materials. In either case, the bezel can be configured to extend parallel to the peripheral edge of the rear electrode, but does not extend along any part of the front surface of the front element. The carrier plate and bezel can be configured to hold multiple devices without an adhesive or additional mechanical fastener inserted therebetween.

  The force and displacement plot shown in FIG. 20 is for short sections cut from various common bezels made of different materials. The short section was fixed and pulled into a device made by “Chatillon” (Greensboro, NC). Looking at the force and displacement plots, elastomeric or rubber bezels ("950 U", "DP7 1050") are generally used for rigid materials used to make prior art bezels (Geloy, ASA / PC). ", RPT), it can be seen that the force increases rapidly with small displacement changes. For this reason, bezels made of these elastomeric materials that just fit in a glass mirror at room temperature do not generate high values of circumferential stress when the bezel shrinks around the glass at low temperatures. In contrast, a bezel made of a rigid material such as ASA / PC that just fits at room temperature generates a high value of circumferential stress when the bezel shrinks around the glass at low temperatures. The elastomeric bezel 144a is preferably disposed at least around the circumference of the front element 112. Because of its elasticity, the elastomeric bezel has a circumference that is at least smaller than the circumference of the front element so that the elastomeric bezel just fits around the mirror element.

Some of the physical properties of rigid elastomeric bezel materials are shown in Table 1 below. The tensile modulus of some prior art rigid plastic materials ranges from a low value of 72,000 psi to a high value of just over 350,000 psi. In contrast, preferred elastomeric bezel materials have a tensile modulus of about 100 psi to 3,000 psi. Accordingly, the elastomeric bezel material of the present invention has a tensile modulus of less than about 72,000 psi and may have a tensile modulus of less than about 3,000 psi. The lower the tensile modulus of the bezel material, the lower the circumferential stress in the thermal coefficient mismatch system of the glass mirror surrounded by the plastic bezel.

(Table 1)

  FIG. 21A illustrates one technique for providing electrical coupling with an electrochromic device, such as the electrochromic device of the first embodiment. As shown, the first conductive clip 180 is clipped to the element 114 so as to be in electrical contact with the second portion 120b of the electrode 120. A second conductive clip is provided that clips around the entire device and thus contacts the front surface 112a of the front element 112 and the rear surface 114b of the rear element 114. Electrical contact is made with the electrode 128 through the first portion 120 a of the electrode 120 and through the conductive material 152. Either or both of the clips 180 and 182 form an L shape with a portion extending parallel to the periphery of the first and / or second substrate and a second portion extending parallel to the rear surface of the rear substrate. It should be understood that can be configured. The L-shaped clip can be formed in contact with the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer. The L-shaped clip can be configured to contact the first or second conductive layer by extending a portion of the predetermined conductive layer along the peripheral edge of either the front or rear element, or Conductive epoxies can be used to facilitate contact from the associated conductive layer. A variation of this configuration is shown in FIG. 21B, where 182 is made in the same configuration as clip 180 so that it is clipped only to rear element 114. Again, the electrical coupling between the clip 182 and the electrode 128 is through the conductive seal 152 and any wires 150 that can be placed therein. As shown in FIG. 21C, one or more such clips can be placed so that an electrical connection with each electrode 120 or 128 is obtained. Clips 180 and 182 can be connected to the circuit board directly by soldering or otherwise, or wires extending therebetween can be soldered to clips 180 and 182. Figures 21D and 21E show two further variations of the clips 180 and 180 described above. In FIG. 21D, the clips 180a and 182a have been modified so that they do not extend around the rear surface 114b of the rear element 114. In FIG. 21E, the clips 180b and 182b have been modified to cover the front surface 112a of the front element 112 and to extend around the rear surface 14b of the rear element 114 at the same time as extending around it. . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the disclosed clip design without departing from the scope of the invention.

  FIG. 22 is a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 14 and described above. The structure shown in FIG. 22 is such that one of the layers of conductive foil or web 166 extends outwardly beyond the edges of elements 112 and 114 and provides a connection to the printed circuit board or heater circuit around element 114. Is different in that it is wound around. Further, the rear surface 114b of the rear element 114 can be patterned with conductive electrodes to provide power to the foil 166. The foil 166 on the opposite side of the insulator 164 can extend outward to provide a connection to the other of the electrodes 128 and 120 as well. The foil 166 can be cut using a scissors and bend substantially to form one or more connector clips. The foil 166 can be configured as an electrical bus with tabs extending into the seal.

  FIG. 23 illustrates yet another embodiment in which a conductive coating 190 is disposed on the periphery of the rear element 114. Such a coating can be made of metal and applied with solder. Alternatively, the material can be wound on the edge of element 114. Such a structure simply allows contact to the edge of element 114 to provide electrical coupling with one or both of electrodes 120 and 128.

Yet another embodiment is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, most or all of the sealing member has been moved from between the front element 112 and the rear element 114 to the edge of the front element and the rear element. Thus, the seal is provided solely or primarily on the periphery of the front and back elements. As shown in FIG. 24, the seal 200 contacts the front element at both the peripheral and rear surface of the front element. Similarly, the seal 200 contacts the rear element at both the peripheral edge and front surface of the rear element. The first contact area where the seal 200 contacts the peripheral edge of the front element 112 is larger than the second contact area where the seal 200 contacts the rear surface of the front element 112. Similarly, the third contact area where the seal 200 contacts the peripheral edge of the rear element 114 is larger than the fourth contact area where the seal 200 contacts the front surface of the rear element 114. As a result, the interface between the seal 200 and the front element 112 forms an oxygen and / or moisture penetration path length through which oxygen must pass for the chamber 126 and extends along the periphery of the front element 112. The long portion is longer than the portion of the path length that extends along the rear surface of the front element 112. Similarly, the interface between the seal 200 and the rear element 114 forms another oxygen penetration path length through which oxygen must pass to enter the chamber 126, and this path length extending along the periphery of the rear element 114. This portion is longer than the portion of the path length that extends along the front surface of the rear element 114. Oxygen penetration by forming a seal 200 of a thin member 202 of a first material having an oxygen permeability of less than 2.0 cm ³ · mm / m ² · day · atm and / or compared to other electrochromic cells By increasing the path length, the amount of oxygen penetrating into the chamber 126 can be greatly reduced. Typical prior art seals have an oxygen permeability of 2.0 to 3.9 cm ³ · mm / m ² · day · atm and a water permeability of 0.7 to 0.94 gm · mm / m ² · day. Made of an epoxy resin having a primary positioning between the front and rear elements, thereby reducing the oxygen permeation path length.

  The first material forming the thin member 202 can be made of a material selected from the group of metals, metal alloys, plastics, glass, and combinations thereof. The first material 202 is glued to the periphery of the front and rear elements with a second material 204. The second material can have a higher oxygen permeability than the first material, and a conductive adhesive or conductive that provides electrical contact with at least one of the first and second conductive layers 120 and 128. It can be an epoxy.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sealing member 200 includes a thin member 202 having a low gas permeability that is adhered to the edges of the front and rear elements. An adhesive 204 such as an epoxy adhesive, PSA, or hot melt can be applied in the form of a film to a thin member 202 having a low gas permeability such as a metal foil or plastic film. Examples of materials that can be used as the thin member 202 include polycarbonate (oxygen permeability of 90.6-124 cm ³ · mm / m ² · day · atm and 3.82 to 4.33 gm · mm / m ² · day water permeability), vinylidene chloride (0.0152 to 0.2533 cm ³ · mm / m ² · day · atm oxygen permeability and 0.01 to 0.08 gm · mm / m ² · day water permeability) ), And multilayer films of plastic and / or metal. Such films are inorganic layers or coatings such as SiO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ , Al, chromium, etc. that are bonded to the edges of the front and rear glass elements with an adhesive or glass frit. Can be included. Examples of suitable multilayer films have an oxygen permeability of 0.2 to 0.79 cm ³ · mm / m ² · day · atm and a water permeability of 0.06 to 0.16 gm · mm / m ² · day. It is a “SARANEX” brand PE / PVC-PVDC film.

  The foil or film 202 is then wound around the front and rear substrates held in a properly spaced relationship. Adhesive 204 bonds foil or film 202 primarily or alone to the substrate edge to form an air and liquid tight seal around the periphery of the electrochromic device. A fill port 206 (FIG. 25) can be added by leaving a hole in or through the foil or film edge sealing member gap. The filling hole can be sealed with solder if a metal foil is used for the edge sealing member. Alternatively, the fill hole can be filled with UV or visible light curable adhesive or hot melt, or another thin sealing member such as a foil or film can be glued over the fill hole. . If a light transmissive film is used, the film can be adhered using an ultraviolet or visible light curable adhesive. If an opaque metal foil is used, hot melt, PSA, or other self-curing adhesive can be used. In this way, the area required for the seal, mainly between the substrates, is eliminated, so that the bezel designed to cover that area can be narrowed or eliminated. It should be understood that the sealing member 208 need not extend between the substrates 112 and 114 to provide an effective seal, that is, the entire sealing means may be on all or part of the substrate periphery. It is. In embodiments where it is desirable to reduce the seal width between the substrates in order to increase the effective reflective area of the mirror, it is preferred that the seal be configured to be primarily or alone on at least one substrate periphery.

  When the low gas permeability member bonded to the side of the substrate has a conductive area, this member serves as an electrical bus for contacting the conductive electrodes of the electrochromic device. The electrical isolation of the electrodes can be maintained by creating a gap with respect to the electrical continuity of the edge sealing member. For example, if a metal foil is used, a small slit or gap 206 (FIG. 25), such as that used as a fill hole, is made in the foil to isolate the top and bottom electrode buses, and another hole is filled. Could be made on the other side. Electrical continuity between the conductive edge sealing member and the electrode can be established in any number of ways. Conductive electrode coating 120 and / or 128 can be wrapped around the sides of the substrate (FIGS. 26 and 27), or conductive coating or adhesive 208 (FIGS. 29A-29C) in areas where electrical connection with the edge bus is desired. 32) can be added. The conductive sealing member 202 has a recess or fold 210 (FIG. 26) to contact the electrode coating or edge coatings 120 and 128, or inward to contact the side of the substrate through an adhesive bond of the sealing member. A protruding extension 214 (FIG. 28) may be included. Conductive particles in the adhesive or conductive adhesive 208 could be used to make electrical contact between the conductive edge sealing member and the electrode coating or edge coating. A wire (212 in FIG. 27), metal clip (216 in FIG. 33), or other conductor may then be used to make contact between the conductive edge seal 202 and the electrochromic device drive electronics. it can. With an electrochromic device made in this way, a seal and a bezel to cover the contact area are almost unnecessary. More detailed contents of FIGS. 29A to 33 will be described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 29A and 29B, the thin sealing member 202 can be secured to the periphery of the elements 112 and 114 using both conductive material 208 and non-conductive material 204. As shown in FIG. 29A, the conductive material 208 provides electrical connection from the conductive layer 128 to the first portion 202a of the sealing member 202 (see FIG. 25). As shown in FIG. 29B, the conductive material 208 makes an electrical connection from the conductive layer 120 to the second portion 202 b of the sealing member 202. As described above, a thin sealing member and a fill hole, gap, or slit in conductive material 208 can be used to insulate portions 202a and 202b of thin sealing member 202.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 30, the conductive layers 128 and 120 provide electrical connection from the conductive material 208 to the first portion 202a of the sealing member 202 (see FIG. 25), where the conductive material 208 is also Configured and oriented as shown in FIG. 8C to make electrical connections from the conductive layer 120 to the second portion 202b of the conductive material 202. As described above, the fill port, gap, or slit in the thin seal member and conductive material 208 can be used to insulate the portions 202a and 202b of the thin seal member 202.

  FIG. 31 shows an embodiment similar to FIG. 30 except that regions 128a and 120a of conductive layers 120 and 128 are eliminated.

  FIG. 32 shows that only the central portion of the adhesive disposed between layers 120 and 128 is conductive, while a non-conductive adhesive is used to bond the sealing member 202 to the periphery of elements 112 and 114. The embodiment which is made is shown. This provides the advantage that the conductive material 208 need not be as effective as the adhesive with respect to the thin member 202.

  FIG. 33 illustrates an embodiment in which a clip 216 (similar to the clip 182 of FIGS. 21B and 21C) is used in combination with a thin sealing member 202, which can be a metal foil or the like. As shown, a solder protrusion for soldering the thin foil 202 to the clip 216 can be provided.

  A method for connecting an electrode of an electrochromic medium to a heater circuit or a flexible circuit board is assigned to the present applicant on December 2, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 6,657,767. Specifically, a portion of the flexible circuit board provided with the heater circuit extends beyond the edge of the element 114 to contact the conductive material on the edge of the electrochromic device and Can be rolled up.

  Another option for providing an electrical connection is to place a conductive layer or other material on the inner surface of the bezel 144 so that the pressure exerted by the bezel can be applied to the connector and the electrode layer itself or the conductive portion 152 of the seal. It is thought that a contact force is generated between them.

  As is apparent from the embodiments described above, a portion of the seal can be configured to function as an electrical bus. The seal can be conductive along a portion of the width, a portion of the height, or a portion of the length. The seal can be formed of conductive ink or epoxy, as described above, and can be filled with metal flakes, fibers, particles, or other conductive materials.

  Zero-offset mirrors, where most of the seal is between the substrates or on the edge of the substrate, have a much smoother profile when compared to typical offset electrochromic mirrors, and a substantial bezel Note that can be totally unnecessary. For example, an aesthetically pleasing mirror can be made by simply adding a black or colored coating across the edge of the mirror with a black or colored seal between the substrates. Thus, the bezel will consist of a thin layered coating that looks just like a bezel of paint or other material on the periphery of the mirror. Similarly, this thin coating can be applied to wrap around the edge and cover some or all of the area between the substrate seals. This process will also apply to mirrors where the majority of the seal is on the edge of the glass. It is contemplated that a thin coating of paint or other material can be added to the edge of the mirror to represent an aesthetically pleasing and uniform edge. In addition, installing a wider and more uniform seal can eliminate the need to cover up the seal.

  As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, each of the above embodiments may reduce the bezel (if provided) of the bezel by reducing or eliminating the vertical position offset between the front and rear elements 112 and 114. It offers the advantage that any corresponding part of the width can be reduced. Other aspects of the invention can be used to otherwise make the appearance of the seal less noticeable or to provide a unique bezel. However, it will be appreciated that the various aspects may be used separately regardless of the implementation of the other aspects, or may be used in various combinations.

  Although the present invention has been generally described as used in connection with electrochromic devices such as mirrors and architectural windows, those skilled in the art will recognize that various aspects of the present invention can be used to manufacture other electro-optic devices. Will understand that can be used.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail herein according to certain preferred embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art can accomplish many modifications and changes therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is the inventor's intention that the present invention be limited only by the claims and not by the details and means of describing the embodiments set forth herein.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a conventional external electrochromic mirror subassembly. 1B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the conventional external electrochromic mirror assembly shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1 is a front view schematically illustrating an automotive inner / outer electrochromic rearview mirror system in which an outer mirror incorporates an outer mirror assembly of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of the first embodiment of the present invention taken along line III-III of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a top view of a rear substrate on which electrodes are formed that can be used in the electrochromic mirror element shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a top view of a rear substrate having electrodes formed thereon that can be used in the electrochromic mirror element shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 7B is a top view of the rear substrate shown in FIG. 7A with an additional seal that can be used with the electrochromic mirror element shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a top view of a rear substrate having electrodes formed thereon that can be used in the electrochromic mirror element shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8B is a top view of the back substrate shown in FIG. 8A with a further seal formed for use with the electrochromic mirror element shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the front and rear substrates with electrodes formed thereon that can be used in the electrochromic mirror element of the present invention. FIG. 8B is a top view of the rear substrate shown in FIG. 8A where a seal is further formed. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a third embodiment of the present invention. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of an eighth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a ninth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a tenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a twelfth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 shows a plot of bezel force and deflection for various materials that can be used to make a bezel according to a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is a top view of a rear substrate with electrodes formed thereon that can be used in the electrochromic mirror element shown in FIG. 21B. FIG. 18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a seventeenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to an eighteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a nineteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating aspects of a twentieth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a top view of an electrochromic mirror element showing the placement of an edge seal as utilized in various embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is a first enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is a second enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 27 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 28 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 30 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-eighth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 36 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrochromic mirror element incorporating an edge seal according to a twenty-ninth embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

111 External mirror assembly 112 Front element 112a Front surface 112b Rear surface 114 Rear element 114a Front surface 114b Rear surface 116 Seal 120 Electrode

Claims (96)

A front element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a second layer of conductive material is disposed;
A seal provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber;
An electrochromic material disposed in the chamber;
A conductor provided to electrically couple a portion of the first conductive layer to a portion of the second conductive layer and provided on an outer peripheral edge of at least one of the front and rear elements; ,
An electrochromic device comprising:   The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the conductor includes conductive particles dispersed within at least a portion of the seal.   The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductor includes conductive particles dispersed within at least a portion of the width of the seal.   The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the conductor includes conductive particles dispersed within at least a portion of the length of the seal.   The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the second conductive layer is reflective.   The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the conductor extends between outer peripheral edges of both the front and rear elements and is provided on the outer peripheral edge.   The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the conductor forms a continuous path on the rear surface of the rear element for electrical contact purposes.   The electrochromic device of claim 7, wherein the electrical conductor is configured to contact a second electrical conductor on the rear surface of the rear element.   The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the front and rear elements are substantially aligned in any lateral direction with an offset of less than 0.5 mm. An electrochromic variable reflectivity mirror for a vehicle,
A front element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a second layer of conductive material is disposed;
A seal provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber;
An electrochromic material disposed in the chamber;
A bezel having a front lip portion disposed at least around the periphery of the front element and extending over a portion of the front surface of the front element and having a width of about 4 mm or less;
Including a mirror.   The electrochromic mirror according to claim 10, wherein the bezel has a width of about 3.6 mm or less. One of the rear surface of the front element and the front surface of the rear element is tapered near its peripheral edge to form a steep seam;
At least a portion of the seal is provided on the raised seam;
The electrochromic mirror according to claim 10.   11. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 10, wherein the front and rear elements are substantially aligned with an offset of less than 0.5 mm in any lateral direction.   The electrochromic mirror of claim 10, further comprising a conductor provided to electrically couple a portion of the first conductive layer to a portion of the second conductive layer.   The electrochromic mirror of claim 10, wherein the front lip of the bezel has a width sufficient to extend across all of the seals.   11. The electrochromic mirror of claim 10, wherein the front lip of the bezel has a width sufficient to extend about 0.5 mm beyond the innermost edge of the seal. An electrochromic variable reflectivity mirror for a vehicle,
A front element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a second layer of conductive material is disposed;
A seal provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber;
An electrochromic material disposed in the chamber;
An elastomeric bezel disposed about the circumference of at least one of the elements;
Including a mirror.   The electrochromic device of claim 17, wherein the front and rear elements are substantially aligned in any lateral direction with an offset of less than 0.5 mm.   The electrochromic device of claim 17, further comprising a conductor provided to electrically couple a portion of the first conductive layer with a portion of the second conductive layer.   The electrochromic device of claim 17, wherein the bezel is made of a material having a tensile modulus less than about 72,000 psi.   The electrochromic device of claim 17, wherein the elastomeric bezel is disposed at least around the circumference of the front element.   The electrochromic device of claim 21, wherein the circumference of the elastomeric bezel is smaller than the circumference of the first element. A method of manufacturing an electrochromic device, comprising:
Providing a front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
Providing a rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a peripheral portion and a second layer of conductive material are disposed;
Coating at least a portion of at least one of the peripheral portions with a conductive material;
Providing a seal prepared to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber;
Dispensing electrochromic material into the chamber;
A method comprising the steps of:   24. The method of claim 23, further comprising placing a conductive wire between the first and second conductive layers in electrical contact with at least one of the conductive layers.   24. The method of claim 23, wherein a surrounding area of the front surface of the front element is modified to make the appearance of the seal inconspicuous.   24. The method of claim 23, wherein the front and rear elements are substantially aligned in any lateral direction with an offset of less than 0.5 mm.   24. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing a conductor for electrically coupling a portion of the first conductive layer with a portion of the second conductive layer. A front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a peripheral portion and a second layer of conductive material are disposed;
A seal prepared to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber;
An electrochromic material disposed in the chamber;
A conductive wire or strip disposed in electrical contact with at least one of the conductive layers between the first and second conductive layers;
An electrochromic device comprising:   29. The electrochromic device of claim 28, wherein the conductive wire includes a plurality of stranded strands.   30. The electrochromic device of claim 29, wherein the stranded strands are made of at least two different materials. The wire is electrically coupled to the first conductive layer;
A second wire electrically coupled to the second conductive layer;
The electrochromic device of claim 28, further comprising:   32. The electrochromic device of claim 31, wherein the wires are separated from each other by the seal.   32. The electrochromic device of claim 31, wherein the wire is coated with a conductive material. One of the rear surface of the front element and the front surface of the rear element is tapered near its peripheral edge to form a steep seam;
At least a portion of the seal and the conductive wire are provided on the ragged seam;
32. The electrochromic device according to claim 31, wherein:   32. The electrochromic device of claim 31, wherein a peripheral area of the front surface of the front element is modified to obscure the appearance of the seal.   32. The electrochromic device of claim 31, wherein the front and rear elements are substantially aligned with an offset of less than 0.5 mm in any lateral direction. A front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a peripheral portion and a second layer of conductive material are disposed;
A seal having at least two conductive regions prepared to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber;
An electrochromic material disposed in the chamber;
An electrochromic device comprising:   38. The electrochromic device of claim 37, wherein the conductive regions are separated by non-conductive regions of the seal.   38. The electrochromic device of claim 37, wherein the conductive regions are separated by a fill port.   38. The electrochromic device of claim 37, wherein the seal has a non-conductive inner portion disposed between the conductive region and the electrochromic medium.   38. The electrochromic device of claim 37, wherein the conductive region of the seal is made of a conductive epoxy.   38. The electrochromic device of claim 37, wherein the front and rear elements are substantially aligned with an offset of less than 0.5 mm in any lateral direction.   38. The electrochromic device of claim 37, wherein the conductive region of the seal extends less than all of the length of the seal.   38. The electrochromic device of claim 37, wherein the conductive region of the seal extends less than all of the width of the seal. One of the rear surface of the front element and the front surface of the rear element is tapered near its peripheral edge to form a steep seam;
The seal is provided on the raised seam;
38. The electrochromic device according to claim 37.   38. The electrochromic device of claim 37, further comprising a conductive wire provided in electrical contact with at least one of the conductive layers between the first and second conductive layers. A front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a peripheral portion and a second layer of conductive material are disposed;
A seal having at least one conductive region prepared to sealably couple the elements in spaced relation to each other to form a chamber;
An electrochromic material disposed in the chamber;
Including
The conductive area of the seal extends less than all of the height of the seal;
An electrochromic device characterized by that.   48. The electrochromic device of claim 47, wherein a peripheral area of the front surface of the front element is modified to make the appearance of the seal inconspicuous.   48. The electrochromic device of claim 47, wherein the seal has a non-conductive inner portion disposed between the conductive region and the electrochromic medium.   48. The electrochromic device of claim 47, wherein the conductive region of the seal is made of a conductive epoxy.   48. The electrochromic device of claim 47, wherein the front and rear elements are substantially aligned with an offset of less than 0.5 mm in any lateral direction.   48. The electrochromic device of claim 47, wherein the seal includes two conductive regions separated by a non-conductive region. The non-conductive region includes an insulating strip;
The conductive region includes a first conductive strip added to one side of the insulating strip and a second conductive strip added to the opposite side of the insulating strip;
53. The electrochromic device according to claim 52, wherein:   54. The electrochromic device of claim 53, wherein each of the conductive regions further comprises a conductive epoxy coating. A front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a peripheral portion and a second layer of conductive material are disposed;
Seals provided on both the front and rear elements to form a sealed chamber between the front and rear elements;
An electrochromic material disposed in the chamber;
Including
The seal includes a thin member coupled to a peripheral edge of at least one of the front and rear elements.
An electrochromic device characterized by that.   56. The electrochromic device of claim 55, wherein the thin member comprises one of a film, a thin glass, and a foil strip.   56. The electrochromic device of claim 55, wherein the thin member is conductive and functions as an electrical bus for passing current through the first and second layers of conductive material.   56. The electrochromic device of claim 55, wherein the thin member is bonded to the peripheral edge with a conductive adhesive.   56. The electrochromic device of claim 55, wherein the thin member is coupled to a peripheral edge of both the front and rear elements. A front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a peripheral portion and a second layer of conductive material are disposed;
Seals provided on both the front and rear elements to form a sealed chamber between the front and rear elements;
An electrochromic material disposed in the chamber;
Including
The seal is provided mainly on the peripheral edge of the front and rear elements,
An electrochromic device characterized by that. 61. The electrochromic device of claim 60, wherein the seal includes a first material having an oxygen permeability less than 2.0 cm < ³ > .mm / m < ² > .day.atm.   62. The electrochromic device of claim 61, wherein the seal is adhered to a peripheral edge of the front and rear elements using a second material.   63. The electrochromic device of claim 62, wherein the second material has a higher oxygen permeability than the first material.   62. The electrochromic device of claim 61, wherein the first material is selected from the group of metal, metal alloy, plastic, glass, and combinations thereof.   61. The electrochromic device of claim 60, wherein the seal comprises metal, metal alloy, plastic, glass, and combinations thereof.   61. The electrochromic device of claim 60, wherein the seal includes a conductive adhesive.   61. The electrochromic device of claim 60, wherein the seal comprises a conductive epoxy.   61. The electrochromic device of claim 60, wherein the seal includes a conductive material that makes electrical contact with at least one of the first and second layers. The seal contacts the front element both on the periphery and on the rear surface of the front element;
A first contact area where the seal contacts the peripheral edge of the front element is greater than a second contact area where the seal contacts the rear surface of the front element;
61. The electrochromic device according to claim 60. The seal contacts the rear element both on the periphery and on the front surface of the rear element;
A first contact area where the seal contacts the peripheral edge of the rear element is greater than a second contact area where the seal contacts the front surface of the rear element;
61. The electrochromic device according to claim 60. An interface between the seal and the front element forms an oxygen permeation path length through which oxygen must travel to enter the chamber;
A portion of the path length extending along the peripheral edge of the front element is longer than a portion of the path length extending along the rear surface of the front element;
61. The electrochromic device according to claim 60. An interface between the seal and the rear element forms an oxygen permeation path length through which oxygen must travel to enter the chamber;
The path length portion extending along the peripheral edge of the rear element is longer than the path length portion extending along the front surface of the rear element;
61. The electrochromic device according to claim 60.   61. The electrochromic device of claim 60, wherein the seal includes a thin member coupled to a peripheral edge of the front and rear elements.   74. The electrochromic device of claim 73, wherein the thin member includes one of a film, a thin glass, and a foil strip.   74. The electrochromic device of claim 73, wherein the thin member is electrically conductive and functions as an electrical bus for passing current through the first and second layers of the conductive material. A front element having a peripheral edge, a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed;
A rear element having a front surface and a rear surface on which a peripheral portion and a second layer of conductive material are disposed;
Oxygen less than about 2.0 cm ³ · mm / m ² · day · atm provided on the periphery of both the front and rear elements to form a sealed chamber between the front and rear elements A seal comprising a first material having a permeability;
An electrochromic material disposed in the chamber;
An electrochromic device comprising:   76. The electrochromic device of claim 75, wherein the seal is adhered to the peripheral edge of the front and rear elements using a second material.   77. The electrochromic device of claim 76, wherein the second material has a higher oxygen permeability than the first material.   77. The electrochromic device of claim 76, wherein the first material is selected from the group of metals, metal alloys, plastics, glasses, and combinations thereof.   77. The electrochromic device of claim 76, wherein the front and rear elements are substantially aligned in any lateral direction with an offset of less than 0.5 mm. A front element comprising a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed and a peripheral edge;
A second element comprising a front surface and a rear surface on which a second layer of conductive material is disposed and a peripheral edge;
A seal that is primarily on the periphery of the front and rear elements and is provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber;
An electro-optic element comprising:   82. The electro-optic element of claim 81, wherein the seal is generally on the periphery of the front and rear elements.   The electro-optic element of claim 81, wherein the seal contacts a portion of the first conductive layer.   The electro-optic element of claim 82, wherein the seal contacts a portion of the second conductive layer. A front element comprising a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed and a peripheral edge;
A second element comprising a front surface and a rear surface on which a second layer of conductive material is disposed and a peripheral edge;
A seal provided to sealably couple the elements together in a spaced relationship to form a chamber;
A carrier plate and a bezel configured such that a bezel extends parallel to the peripheral edge of the rear element and does not cover any part of the front surface of the front element;
An electro-optic assembly comprising:   85. The electro-optic assembly of claim 84, wherein the carrier plate and the bezel are co-molded with substantially the same material.   86. The electro-optic assembly of claim 85, wherein the bezel containing a first material is co-molded with a carrier plate of a second material.   86. The electro-optic assembly of claim 85, wherein the carrier plate is attached to the rear surface of the rear element with a pressure sensitive adhesive.   86. The carrier plate is held in a desired position relative to the rear element through cooperation of the bezel with at least a portion of the periphery associated with the rear and / or front element. An electro-optic assembly as described. A front element comprising a front surface and a rear surface on which a first layer of conductive material is disposed and a peripheral edge;
A second element comprising a front surface and a rear surface on which a second layer of conductive material is disposed and a peripheral edge;
At least one L-shaped clip including a first portion extending parallel to the peripheral edge of the rear element and a second portion extending parallel to the rear surface of the rear element;
An electro-optic assembly comprising:   90. The electro-optic assembly of claim 89, wherein the at least one L-shaped clip is in electrical contact with the first conductive layer.   The electro-optic assembly of claim 90, wherein the first conductive layer includes a portion that extends on the peripheral edge of the front element.   92. The electro-optic assembly of claim 91, further comprising a conductive epoxy in electrical contact with the first conductive layer and the first portion of the L-shaped clip.   90. The electro-optic assembly of claim 89, wherein the at least one L-shaped clip is in electrical contact with the second conductive layer.   94. The electro-optic assembly of claim 93, wherein the first conductive layer includes a portion extending on the peripheral edge of the rear element.   95. The electro-optic assembly of claim 94, further comprising a conductive epoxy in electrical contact with the second conductive layer and the first portion of the L-shaped clip.

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